Let’s not take life for granted!

A recent disaster, this time nearby my childhood home, made me think about life and we sometimes take life for granted.

Around 34 years ago, my family moved into the university housing complex for teaching staff in a place, where in 1975, was not the most developed place in the world. Sure the houses were relatively big, and we begged my Dad to take the one with the ” extra big backyard” but everything else was, well, underdeveloped. No electricity! No parks! No entertainment nearby!

The only other thing that fascinated us kids was the fact that the complex was sitting on the banks on this large lake called Situ Gintung. The lake was large, and we could see people sailing (members from the Sport Club nearby).

We couldn’t swim there because it was muddy and there were strong undercurrents and whirlpools, and of course there was the urban legend that the lake had an “occupant” with supernatural powers, daring anyone to disturb the lake. For kids, that even was more fascinating and we spent many afternoons playing nearby.

Who would have thought that 34 years later, the lake would be gone?

When I first heard the news that fateful Friday morning, I did not have any idea of the extent of the damage. Well, as the day went on, it became worse and worse. Many houses were ruined, cars just floated away, and the human casualties way too many 😦

And for me, I felt a part of my childhood was gone too as I saw what was left of the lake. It is now a big mudbank, smelly because of organic material decomposing… I have always thought that the lake is a constant that will always be there, and now?

So basically, what I am trying to say is we should always try to not take our lives for granted, because you can lose everything you have in a mere 15 minutes or less…